


Of post-it notes and faceless crushes

by Cirelli



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, But he gets a crush in the process, Delayed first meeting, Disaster Gays, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, Minor Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Minor Lee Seokmin | DK/Yoon Jeonghan, Oh My God, Post-it Notes, Post-it notes as a form of communication are top tier, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, WonJeongHoon are besties, Wonwoo just wants to know his roommate!!, they were roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28482735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirelli/pseuds/Cirelli
Summary: “So what you’re saying is… You have no idea what your roommate looks like. And you’ve moved in a week ago already. And now you’re communicating through post-it notes.”Jeonghan stares at Wonwoo in disbelief, and the latter frowns as he munches on his lunch. Jihoon rolls his eyes at the two of them, sensing the impending headache.“… Yes?”“But… aren’t you curious?”orTired of endless commuting, Wonwoo moves into his college's dorm in third year. When his roommate turns out to be so much of a night owl they can never seem to be home or awake at the same time, the two start communicating through post-it notes left on their fridge.Gay shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi
Comments: 17
Kudos: 160





	Of post-it notes and faceless crushes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it's me again! 🥰️ Thank you for stopping on my fic 💕
> 
> To be perfectly honest, this is just a big pile of Soonwoo fluff from start to finish OTL I started writing this on a whim, it was supposed to be "short and quick"... and here we are.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you will enjoy that silly one-shot of mine! Soonwoo is one of my top ships so hopefully I did them justice 🥰️
> 
> Huge thank you to my friend [thanku4urlove](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Bfandom_ids%5D%5B%5D=4551485&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&user_id=thanku4urlove) for beta-reading this fic and providing the best support and enthusiasm as I was writing this, I could not have finished it without you 😔💖 She writes wonderful fics (mostly Jigyus 👀) so please consider checking out her works if you don't know them~

“Welcome to your new home!”

Wonwoo takes a tentative first step into the unfamiliar place, looking around curiously. The dorm looks much bigger than he expected, judging from the pictures he had seen on the campus website.

The friendly, stupidly pretty RA – Joshua, was it? – gestures for him to come inside so the eldest can show him around. Wonwoo leaves his heavy suitcase in the hall, dropping his jacket on top of it.

“I’m sure you already know, but the dorm comes with a kitchen, living room, and bathroom to share with your roommate. There might be a couple inspections during the year so make sure to keep them clean. Your bedroom’s over there,” Joshua informs him as he points to a plain white door down the hallway.

Wonwoo tags along behind the RA to have a look. The room is bare, containing nothing more than a single bed, a closet, and a tiny desk. He frowns at the austerity of it all. He’ll have to decorate a little if he wants to feel truly at home in there.

The door to the opposite room is closed, its occupant visibly not inside, considering the absence of shoes in the hall. Wonwoo has been slightly anxious at the prospect of meeting his roommate, with whom he’s going to share the place until the end of the year. What if they don’t click? The brunet trusts himself to be at least civil, but he doesn’t know what the other student is like. If the guy turns out to be a giant prick, things might very much become a nightmare.

“Who’s my roommate?” he asks Joshua, trying his best to appear unbothered.

“Oh, right! His name’s Kwon Soonyoung, he’s a third-year just like you. You should meet him soon enough.”

Wonwoo nods, deep in thought. Soonyoung? That sounds like a nice name. Hopefully it belongs to an equally nice person.

“Alright, I’ll let you unpack for now. Come find me if you need anything or if you’ve got any question, I live in A11. See you around, Wonwoo.”

The senior pats the brunet on the shoulder, turns around and leaves him to his musings.

Wonwoo takes another curious look at the whole place. He feels weird, stepping into this place where someone already lives. It’s almost like he’s intruding into the other guy’s privacy. It’s also his first time moving out of his parents’ home, so everything feels very new and foreign.

He notices Soonyoung’s things, lying around here and there: class notes left open on the coffee table, a hoodie abandoned on the sofa, sportswear drying on a tiny hamper. Wonwoo admits to being a little of a neat freak, but his roommate doesn’t look like he’s the chaotic messy type. At least there shouldn’t be any issue on that aspect.

He doesn’t know his roommate yet but traces of him are left everywhere for him to see, like pieces of a puzzle scattered around. Wonwoo can’t help but let his eyes wander around, taking in all the little things that scream “Soonyoung”.

The dorm smells faintly of deodorant and ramen – not that those would be surprising to find in a place where college students live. But there’s another unfamiliar scent floating in the air. Soonyoung’s.

Wonwoo smiles to himself. He has a good feeling about this.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

Three days into his new dorm life, and Wonwoo now wonders if he even has a roommate at all.

When he gets home in the evening, he finds the place deserted. Stubbornly, Wonwoo makes sure to wait in the living room, bundled up into a warm blanket as he types away on his computer and completes his first assignments of the semester. Every now and then, his eyes dart to the front door, half-expecting it to finally open and let him meet Kwon Soonyoung. But when midnight comes and his yawns become more frequent, Wonwoo has no choice but to give up and go to bed, leaving the mystery of his roommate’s identity unsolved.

Morning comes, and not much has changed since the night before. Wonwoo might occasionally notice a few things appearing – a large sports bag next to a stinky pair of worn-down sneakers in the hall – or disappearing – packs of spicy ramen, a pair of metal chopsticks, laundry left to dry during the day – overnight.

But those are the only proofs that Kwon Soonyoung does exist, and that he is not a fictional character invented by the RA Joshua.

“I never thought I’d move in with someone who has a schedule so drastically different from mine,” Wonwoo tells Jihoon over lunch.

“Are you sure he’s not a ghost?” the other boy asks nonchalantly, his eyes riveted on his phone.

“He might be,” the brunet scoffs as he swallows a spoonful of rice. “I guess he comes home at ass o’clock and sleeps through the entire morning? I don’t get it.”

“Do you know what he majors in?”

“No idea.” Wonwoo puts down his chopsticks, pondering. “It’d be nice to at least greet him, though? I’ve moved in last Tuesday and we’ve never interacted, not even once. It’s getting awkward.”

“Sounds like the dream, if you ask me,” Jihoon replies with a sigh. “I wish Jun was a night owl like yours.”

Wonwoo sniggers under his breath. He’s already heard everything about his friend’s quirky roommate in great detail. It’s a miracle the short blond’s patience still remains intact.

The weekend comes and goes by in a flash, and still no sign of Soonyoung. On Monday morning, Wonwoo has had enough. There _must_ be something he can do to at least communicate with his elusive specimen of a roommate. The brunet considers his options as he munches grumpily on his breakfast, looking around the living room for inspiration.

His eyes stop on his thick pad of neon-colored sticky notes he left on the coffee table the day before. Almost audibly, the cogs turn inside his brain. _That might work._

That day, Wonwoo leaves his dorm with a satisfied smile. Finally, he’s managed to establish a first communication attempt.

On the fridge of their common kitchen, a bright pink note reads:

_“Hey Soonyoung_ _😊_ _I hope you have a nice day today!_

_–Wonwoo”_

Wonwoo wishes he could say he has not mulled over the response he might – or might not? – get to his little note during the entire day, but he has. As he walks back to his dorm after his last class of the day – why did his Java lecture have to happen on a Monday at 5PM? – his slight anxiety is back, nagging in the back of his brain.

He is trying to be friendly to his roommate, but what if the latter takes it the wrong way? What if he comes home to no response, to his note left untouched? He should have thought this through before acting on impulse.

When he opens the front door, the dorm is quiet. Soonyoung’s shoes are once again nowhere to be found, so Wonwoo assumes he gets the place to himself for the night as usual. The brunet drops his bag on the couch, but his mind is somewhere else.

He walks into the kitchen curiously and finds that his pink note has disappeared. However, it has been replaced by two orange ones. Wonwoo grabs the first one, on which a few words are scribbled hastily in black ink:

_“Hey!!! Thanks, you too!!!!_

_Sorry we didn’t get to meet yet_ _😞_

_Better late than never so welcome to C17!!!!_

_-Soonyoung”_

On the second sticky note, his roommate has doodled a wobbly tiger doing a V-sign – Wonwoo has to squint to notice it amidst the messy lines.

A fond smile creeps on the brunet’s lips, as his eyes go over the notes a few more times. He’d been worrying all day long for nothing: in the end, Soonyoung sounds like a very friendly person.

Wonwoo grabs the sticky note pad he’s left next to the fridge the morning before, already thinking about his answer.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

“So what you’re saying is… You have no idea what your roommate looks like. And you’ve moved in a week ago already. And now you’re communicating through post-it notes.”

Jeonghan stares at Wonwoo in disbelief, and the latter frowns as he munches on his lunch. Jihoon rolls his eyes at the two of them, sensing the impending headache.

“… Yes?”

“But… aren’t you curious? Have you tried looking him up on Instagram or something? Anything?”

“Wouldn’t that be creepy? It feels kinda stalkerish.”

“No? Any normal person would do that,” the senior scoffs. “Your guy has probably done it already, you know.”

The brunet sits back, pondering Jeonghan’s words.

Of course, Wonwoo is curious to know more about Soonyoung. However, looking for information on the outside feels like he would be cheating in this weird game of _“get to know your roommate through the belongings he leaves around and random post-it notes”_ they’ve been playing for a few days now.

Truth be told, he’s enjoyed trying to put together every little piece of information he gathers day after day about his roommate, slowly but steadily unraveling the mystery named _Kwon Soonyoung_.

Soonyoung obviously works out a lot, judging from the insane amount of sweatpants he leaves to dry in the living room all the time, but Wonwoo has yet to find out what it is exactly that he trains so hard for. The brunet can also hardly miss the weird amount of tiger-printed objects lying around the dorm: plates, a blanket, shirts, his _toothbrush_ , you name it, Soonyoung has a tiger version of it.

In his mind, Wonwoo can’t help but picture a buff guy with furry tendencies. He doesn’t know if that’s cute or terrifying. Maybe both.

Since that first sticky note of his, the two of them have kept exchanging little messages every day. They’re mostly short and mundane _(“Good morning Wonwoo_ _😁_ _Thanks for handling the cleaning duty this week!!! I’ll take care of it next time~ -SY_ _🐯_ _”_ to which the brunet has replied _“Hello Soonyoung_ _😊_ _No worries! Good luck for this week, don’t forget to take some rest -WW”_ ), but Wonwoo has taken an unexpected liking to this back-and-forth.

He finds himself weirdly excited every morning, as he gets out of bed and goes straight to the kitchen to read his daily note over breakfast. Each one somehow manages to make him smile a little wider than the day before.

“Maybe he’s hot. You never know,” Jeonghan offers as he sips on his coffee.

Wonwoo chokes on a spoonful of rice. Jihoon lazily taps on his back while the senior sniggers, obviously satisfied with the reaction he obtained.

“Why would I care,” the brunet mumbles with feigned disinterest.

“Why would you, indeed,” Jeonghan replies with a knowing smile.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

Wonwoo considers the pad of post-it notes as he sticks his own blue one _(“Good afternoon sleepy head_ _😌_ _What do you mean jjamppong **[1]** is the best, gamja-tang **[2]** is obviously superior, or you need to get your tastebuds checked asap! Take it easy today, don’t forget to stretch~ -WW”_) on the fridge. They’re almost running out.

The brunet stops for a second in hesitation. What has he got to lose, after all? Plus, it would make sense, they do live together. It would be handy in case of emergencies.

When he leaves the dorm and heads to his 8AM lecture on database management – he regrets all of his life choices – he leaves behind another note stuck below the first one.

_“Hey, I’ll stop by the supermarket after class to pick up a few things!_

_Text me if you need anything~_

_+82 02 xxxx xxxx_

_(It’s really no bother, I’m offering)”_

Wonwoo pointedly ignores his slightly hot cheeks and tries his best to bring back his thoughts on database matters. He’s got a test coming up, and he doesn’t need any additional distraction.

(Not that he ever does quite stop thinking about a certain tiger aficionado in the first place.)

[1] Spicy seafood noodle soup

[2] Spicy noodle soup with pig back-bones

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

**From: +82 02 xxxx xxxx**

(11:03) Hey Wonwoo!!! 🐯🤘

Wonwoo distractingly grabs his phone, his eyes riveted on his computer screen as he tries his best to make sense of his Java assignment. The more he looks at the endless lines of code his teacher gave them as examples to follow, the less he understands what’s going on, so he might as well indulge in a short distraction.

The brunet frowns at the unknown number for a second, before the content of the sticky note he left in the morning comes back to mind. The tiger emoji is quick to give away the identity of the not-so-mysterious sender – Wonwoo probably won’t be able to look at anything tiger-related without thinking about his endearingly passionate roommate ever again.

Wonwoo blushes slightly. It’s highly likely that Soonyoung has just rolled out of bed, read the note, and decided to immediately text him without a second thought. He wonders how much of a messy bed head the other boy has right now.

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

Morning sleepy head 👽 (11:04)

I can’t help but feel like we should have done that from the start (11:04)

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(11:05) Okay but where’s the fun in that???

(11:05) On paper I can at least fully express my artistic abilities~

Wonwoo smiles at Soonyoung’s last reply. Since that first tragic drawing of a tiger, the other boy has been steadily leaving countless other doodles all over their post-it discussions. They never fail to brighten his mornings and evenings.

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

You can send memes over text though (11:06)

That seems like a nice perk (11:06)

To his left, Jihoon stops typing for a second and shoots him an inquisitive look.

“Who’re you texting?”

“Uh– Just Soonyoung.”

Hearing the magic word – who is he to resist gossip? – Jeonghan’s head springs up from his psychology notes splattered all over the table.

“Did I hear that right? Did Wonwoo here finally make a move? God, that whole situation has been stuck forever.”

“I did not _make a move_ ,” the brunet sighs with a slight frown. “It just seemed like the practical thing to do. He’s my roommate. What if he gets locked out one day, or if he needs me to pick up something at the supermarket, or–”

“You’re so boring,” the senior whines with a pout.

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, you get to act all considerate and help him when he acts stupid, but what do you get in return?” Jihoon grumbles, typing furiously at the essay that has been annoying him for a week.

“He might get a date,” Jeonghan slides in innocently.

Wonwoo shakes his head in despair, ignoring the obvious heat in his cheeks. Why did he ever befriend those two in the first place?

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(11:08) Good point!!!!!

(11:08) I won’t hold back then 😆

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

I wasn’t expecting any less from you 😉 (11:15)

So, do you need me to pick up anything for you later? (11:16)

“I did not come here to get slandered.”

“You didn’t come here to flirt over text with your mystery roommate either, yet here we are,” Jihoon deadpans with a shrug.

Wonwoo’s lips tighten into a thin line, and Jeonghan cackles whole-heartedly at him. Yup, he needs better friends.

“Don’t come to me for help when Jeonghan starts grilling you again about those cute lunches Mingyu makes for you,” the brunet hisses at his friend.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(14:13) Are you sure you don’t mind???

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

Of course not (14:15)

Anything for you 🙌 (14:15)

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(14:22) Okay then!!! You’re a real lifesaver 😫

(14:23) I wouldn’t mind if you could pick up some packs of ramens, I’ve nearly run out!!

(14:23) I meant to buy more last weekend but

(14:23) I forgot 🥺

The brunet chuckles, imagining what sort of face the real-life Soonyoung is pulling right now.

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

Sure! You can count on me 👌 (14:47)

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

Come to think of it, Wonwoo has hardly seen more than basic ramens in Soonyoung’s side of their shared kitchen cupboards. The brunet usually just cooks dinners for himself – he’s too lazy to make his own lunches and he doesn’t have a doting boyfriend like Jihoon does – but it doesn’t look like his roommate’s diet consists of more than noodles and the occasional egg.

As he roams through the alleys of the supermarket, crossing off each item he picks up from his shopping list, a funny idea crosses his mind. He stops to ponder on it, considering the scallions he’s holding.

His first idea – namely, giving his contact info to Soonyoung – did not end so badly, if he ignores the pointed looks he’s gotten all afternoon from his annoying friends when he told them about it. Wonwoo hums distractingly as he looks for his mom’s phone number. If he’s going for it, he will need the exact recipe.

Wonwoo is no Kim Mingyu – he still doesn’t know how Jihoon managed to bag the best cook of the whole campus, and he will certainly never admit how jealous he is of all the adorable, homemade bento boxes his friend receives every day – but he dares say he nailed that one.

The brunet contemplates the meal he’s just cooked, as it slowly cools down in the nicest dish they own – they’re college students, so it’s basically the least nasty-looking one.

He grabs a pink sticky note and writes down his message of the day hastily. The whole ordeal has taken much more time than he anticipated, and now he might not make it in time for his first class.

It’s too late to be second-guessing himself now, anyway. The brunet grabs his bag and closes the door behind him before breaking into a run. He doesn’t want to face the wrath of his lecturer for arriving late.

_“For today as well, fighting! I hope you like yukgaejang **[3]**~ _ _👍_

 _Enjoy the meal_ _😌_ _You can just reheat it when you’re up and it should taste just as good_

_-WW”_

[3] Spicy beef soup with vegetables

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(11:08) _[Photo attached]_

(11:08) ????????????

(11:12) Are you actually an angel???????

(11:15) 😭 😭 😭 😭 😭

Soonyoung’s reaction to finding the home-cooked meal comes during Wonwoo’s Java tutorial, which means the brunet cannot check his phone right away. It takes all of his self-control to refrain from discretely reading his texts, as he tries to focus on the droning voice of his professor.

Once his work is complete and his files are turned in – his teacher raises a questioning eyebrow at his unusual eagerness to escape from the classroom – Wonwoo rushes outside the building and grabs his phone as he walks towards the library. He finds that Soonyoung is evidently very expressive with the things he likes.

**From: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

(11:17) I don’t even wanna eat it it’s too pretty????

(11:19) But it smells so good……………………………

(11:19) Can you frame food????

(11:20) But it’d be a waste, I don’t even know how much time you put into this………

(11:28) 🥢 🥢 🥢 🥢 🥢

(11:30) It’s so good, I’m gonna cry

(11:40) _[Photo attached]_

(11:41) 😋 😋 😋

(11:45) Did it hurt when you fell from heaven because wow

Judging from the sparklingly clean dish on the picture Soonyoung attached, it looks like he enjoyed the meal. Wonwoo cannot help the bright smile spreading on his lips.

**To: Soonie the Roomie** 🐯

Oh please (12:24)

I’m glad you liked it 😌 (12:25)

“What’s got you all blushing and smiling like that?” Jihoon grumbles in front of him, catching Wonwoo by surprise.

The brunet reflexively puts his phone back into his pocket, sheepishly replacing his glasses on his nose. Jihoon really needs to walk with louder steps, or he’s going to die of a heart-attack soon.

“You know what, don’t answer that, I don’t want to know,” his friend groans. Then, eyeing Wonwoo suspiciously, he adds, “I’m sure Jeonghan will, though.”

“Hey!”

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

From that day on, the two roommates start texting regularly in the evenings, to Wonwoo’s greatest pleasure. He learns that Soonyoung is an undergraduate in the dance program, specializing in choreography (“(21:04) What do you mean you practice until 5AM??? How are you still alive????? 💀”).

The more they talk, the fonder Wonwoo becomes of his endearing roommate. He’s glad he got paired up with Soonyoung, even if he still virtually knows very little about the latter. It feels like living with an online friend you’ve never actually seen in real life.

He’d love to take it to the next level, but he doesn’t really know how to not make it sound awkward. It’s not like he can ask out-of-the-blue _“Hey, can you send a selfie?? ‘Cause my friends keep saying you must be cute and even if I’ll never admit it to them I kinda want to know if that’s true”_ … Can he?

When his phone rings in the middle of his PUBG game – he’s already dead, but he does his best to provide moral support to S.Coups, his usual duo he met in-game a few months ago and now plays with all the time, while the latter fights on – he picks it up without looking away from his computer screen, simply muting his mic and putting his headset down on his desk.

“Hello?”

“Wonwoo!!! I’m so sorry but I really need your help!” the unfamiliar voice screams into his ear.

“Who…?”

When Wonwoo’s eyes read the name of the caller, he feels like his insides are about to combust. Blood rushes to his face as he tries his best to remain calm. Easier said than done.

“…Soonyoung?”

“I’m sorry to bother you so late,” the voice continues, “but can you check if I left my notebook at home??? I could have sworn I put it in my bag this morning, but I don’t have it and I have no idea what I’ve done with it…”

Wonwoo blinks frantically as his brain severely malfunctions, trying to make sense of what’s happening. On the screen, Coups is engaged in a final showdown, and Wonwoo can hear him groan in frustration through the abandoned headset. _Come on, snap out of it._

“Sure, I’ll go look for it,” he replies, getting up from his chair and wincing from the slight back pain – he does sit like a goblin whenever he plays video games.

“Thanks a lot!!” Soonyoung responds excitedly, and Wonwoo does his best to ignore how sweet and charming his voice sounds.

As his eyes go over the living room, he quickly spots a battered notebook, left on the edge of the coffee table. A large roaring tiger head fills up the cover: it’s Soonyoung’s alright, no doubt about it. Considering its poor state, his roommate must usually bring it with him everywhere he goes. The brunet grabs it and holds it up carefully.

“Found it. You left it in the living room. Do you…” Wonwoo gulps nervously. “Do you need me to drop by and bring it to you?”

“Oh, no, it’s alright!! I’m not gonna make you head out and trek across campus just for this, no way,” Soonyoung protests vehemently. Wonwoo pictures him with a cute pout. “If you could just send me pics of the last five pages, you’d be an angel!”

“Oh… Sure, sure. I can totally do that.”

He hates how disappointed he sounds right now. He should be very glad his roommate isn’t actually asking him to go venture into the cold night, but his head isn’t cooperating right now.

“Thanks, Wonwoo, I really owe you one!! I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow!”

When Soonyoung hangs up, he lets himself fall onto the couch. His brain feels fried. In his hands, he’s still clutching the other boy’s notebook. He doesn’t want to pry, but his roommate implicitly gave him permission to look inside, didn’t he?

As Wonwoo flips through the pages, he discovers countless scribbles he cannot decipher, which he can only assume pertain to his choreography work. Some pages have been ripped out, many have been crossed out and scribbled over until you can hardly make out what is written there in the first place.

It looks like the book contains all of Soonyoung’s ideas for moves, formations, stages, and various concepts that his mind has come up with. His passion for dance is painstakingly obvious, and Wonwoo cannot help but feel deeply impressed. Now he understands why the other boy spends so much of his time rehearsing and practicing.

The notebook feels intimate, like Soonyoung has poured all of his soul into its pages. In some places, he notices faint traces of dried up tears. Maybe he shouldn’t have allowed himself to read its content.

As asked, he takes pictures of the last pages – which seem to relate to Soonyoung’s latest work-in-progress – and texts them to him. He then carefully replaces the notebook on the coffee table, before quietly returning to his desk inside his bedroom.

It looks like S.Coups managed to win the match while Wonwoo was on the phone. The brunet picks up his headset and puts it back on.

“Dude, where were you?” his teammate whines in the voice chat. “You missed my greatest action ever!!”

“Sorry, Coups, something came up,” he sighs, reaching for his abandoned herbal tea and sipping the lukewarm drink. “Looks like you dealt with that guy just fine without me.”

Wonwoo’s phone lights up once again, signaling a new text from Soonyoung. As he opens the chat to have a look, the brunet chokes on his tea and coughs like a disastrous mess. Coups even stops complaining for a second, asking if he’s going to survive – “Hey, don’t die on me yet, we still need to get promoted to elite!”.

Of all the things he could have expected from him, Wonwoo definitely did not think Soonyoung would actually send a _selfie_.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

“Can you please stop staring at your phone, this is getting creepy,” Jihoon grumbles without looking away from his laptop.

Wonwoo shoots him an annoyed look. He is _definitely not_ staring. Not one bit. (Or so he tells himself.)

As a sign of protest, he grabs the last chicken wing from the fifth box sitting on Jeonghan’s coffee table – the appetites of three growing college boys are hard things to appease.

The brunet hasn’t even told his friends about his eventful evening yet – he already knows he’s going to get teased about his mental breakdown forever – yet they somehow guessed what it is that has been keeping his undivided attention all morning.

“Be nice to our little Wonwoo, Jihoonie,” Jeonghan coos fondly. “He finally learned that his crush is a cutie and now he doesn’t know how to deal with it.”

“You’re wrong, you know,” the brunet sulks, munching indignantly on his fried chicken.

“What, are you saying he’s not cute?” Jeonghan looks at him in disbelief.

“…”

‘Cute’ is definitely a word that suits Soonyoung, but it is not the one that first came to mind when Wonwoo saw his face for the first time. His roommate had obviously been practicing for a while when he took that picture in the dance studio, considering his wet hair and the droplets of sweat rolling down his neck. He had been grinning brightly at the camera, making a hand gesture resembling – at least what he assumes to be – a tiger’s paw.

Wonwoo’s eyes had hovered over the other boy’s pink lips and damp neck, longer than he would like to admit. Whatever he had pictured inside his mind during his silly little investigation – a “buff guy with furry tendencies”, was it? – he had been miles away from the truth. Soonyoung is so much more attractive than that.

Jeonghan smirks at him, amused by Wonwoo’s silence as the latter gets lost in his thoughts again.

“You find him hot. Is that it?”

“HEY!”

“I’m certainly not disagreeing with you, though,” the senior concedes, raising his hands in surrender.

Jihoon snorts loudly, smirking as he finally looks up from his screen to grab some more food. As usual, he looks like he’s very much enjoying the spectacle. Wonwoo eyes Jeonghan suspiciously. He hasn’t shown his friends the picture yet, so how could he possibly know?

“What.”

“What, what?” the senior questions innocently, leaning on Wonwoo’s side on the couch.

“What did you do?” the brunet squints distrustfully.

“Well, your flirting over sticky notes and memes was very cute and all, but someone had to make sure you weren’t being catfished, you know,” Jeonghan explains lazily as he grabs Wonwoo by the shoulder and pinches his cheek.

“What.”

“Hyung, I think you broke him,” Jihoon comments.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, little Wonwoo, we were looking out for you,” Jeonghan smiles fondly as he ruffles the brunet’s hair. “Plus, let’s be real, you’re probably the only person on this campus who doesn’t use Instagram.”

He really, definitely, absolutely needs better friends.

(Deep down he knows that he could never ask for anyone else than those two, but they also don’t need to have their egos inflated even more. He’ll stick to pretending to hate them for now.)

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

(19:14) 🧐 📷 🤳 📨 🙏 ❓ ❓ 👉 👈

**To: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

Are you trying to communicate? (19:18)

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

(19:32) Now I’m the one at a disadvantage!!

(19:33) I don’t know what you look like 😔 😔

**To: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

I don’t look like anything special though (19:35)

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

(19:42) Absolute nonsense!!!

(19:43) Pretty please? 🥺 🥺

Wonwoo sighs, looking down at his pitiful state. Like most Sundays, he is wearing ratty sweatpants and a washed-out t-shirt he would never dare to go outside with. He is in no way, shape, or form looking good enough for a selfie. But who is he to resist Soonyoung’s cute pout?

(He has yet to see said pout with his own two eyes, but after that surprise selfie of Soonyoung’s, he can definitely picture it way more clearly. He is positive that it must be irresistible.)

He grabs his round, gold-rimmed glasses and puts them on, hoping they can conceal his dark circles a little – he may have stayed up a bit too late playing PUBG with S.Coups last night. Wonwoo is not the hugest fan of selfies, but surely he can make an effort for once. He strikes a plain pose – a V-sign with a slight smile – and sends the resulting picture before he overthinks it. He can panic about it later.

Soonyoung’s reply is not long to come, putting Wonwoo out of his misery – he lasted precisely five seconds before his mind started racing anxiously.

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨**

(19:52) I knew it

(19:53) Cute~ 😊😊

Wonwoo considers screaming into his pillow.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

When Wonwoo gets home that evening, he wants nothing more than to crash on his bed without a second thought and forget about his own existence. His day has gone horribly wrong from start to finish.

It all started going downhill when he arrived at his first class of the day – ten minutes late, soaking wet because of the pouring rain – only to be greeted with an impromptu test he most probably failed terribly.

At lunch, he somehow managed to trip on his own foot and fall into a puddle. Jeonghan and Jihoon could of course not resist making fun of him for the rest of their break – he had a class at 1PM, and therefore could not go back to his dorm and change out of his muddy pants.

Needless to say, the brunet is not particularly in a good mood. He opens the front door a tad too fiercely, slamming it into the wall with a loud noise, and drops his bag in a corner. Homework can definitely wait. As Wonwoo marches towards the kitchen – his body is in dire need of tea – his eyes catch sight of a colorful object in the living room, and he stops in his tracks.

A cute plant with curiously round leaves is sitting on the coffee table, wrapped in an obnoxiously pink ribbon. Wonwoo furrows his eyebrows: he definitely did not buy that. He approaches slowly, wondering what that leafy baby is doing here. Stuck on the pot, he finds a trail of yellow sticky notes.

_“Hello Wonwon!!_

_Please accept this tiny present as a repayment for the meal you made for me, and also for fetching my notebook! And also as a welcome present if it’s not too late??”_

_“It’s a Chinese money plant! It’s said to bring good fortune~_

_(The guy from the shop said to put it in a light spot (but not in direct sunlight) and to water it once a week!!)”_

_“Let me know what you name it~_

_호랑해_ _Horanghae :D_

_– Soonyoung”_

Wonwoo is not one to cry easily, but he feels his eyes water slightly as he reads the notes. How long has it been since he last got such a sweet spontaneous present?

(Jeonghan gifting him three pounds of fresh shrimps does _not_ count. Those are devil spawns.)

Suddenly his day doesn’t feel so bad anymore. The brunet crashes on the couch, caressing the round leaves of the plant as he grabs his phone in his pocket.

 _“Hello?”_ a now familiar voice answers after a couple rings. _“What’s up, Wonwon?”_

It sounds like Soonyoung was in the middle of practice, as he pants into the receiver. Wonwoo’s heart is pounding in his chest, as he slightly panics. He called without a second thought, without preparing what he wanted to say beforehand.

“Hey Soonie,” he replies with a warm smile he cannot repress, his voice wavering on the first syllable. “I found your gift.”

_“Oh, I was wondering when you’d get home! I hope you liked it!”_

“I do, actually, I like it a lot.” Wonwoo fiddles with the hem of his sweatshirt, hesitant. “I just wanted to say thank you. It was very thoughtful of you.”

 _“Oh, please, it’s nothing,”_ Soonyoung laughs, like giving a present to Wonwoo is the most normal, obvious thing to do. _“I’m glad I chose well!”_

The brunet chuckles, unable to resist Soonyoung’s contagious glee. The other boy feels like a ball of sunshine, sharing its warmth with everything it touches. If Wonwoo could keep listening to Soonyoung for another hour or two, he would do so in a heartbeat.

 _“Have you picked a name for your new baby already?”_ Soonyoung asks giddily.

“Well… There’s something that came to mind. I was thinking of Saeho.”

 _“Saeho…? Ooooooh,”_ realization seems to suddenly hit Soonyoung. _“As in…?”_

“Yeah,” Wonwoo chuckles, “as in baby tiger[4].”

_“Cute! It fits well! But are you sure…?”_

Wonwoo blushes slightly, wondering if it’s the plant or himself that is supposed to be cute.

“Of course. It can live in the living room and be _our_ baby.”

The two keep talking animatedly for a while, like they usually would over text. Wonwoo wonders if Soonyoung should be going back to his dance practice – he wouldn’t want to waste his roommate’s precious time – but he doesn’t dare bring it up. He definitely doesn’t want to hang up any time soon.

[4] 새끼 호랑이 (saekki horangi) = tiger cub

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

“What are you working on?” Wonwoo asks curiously, stifling a yawn.

The brunet turns under the bedsheets as he holds the phone to his ear. The clock on his nightstand reads ‘1:14AM’. He should be asleep by now, if he doesn’t want to doze off during his 8AM lecture tomorrow, but right now he doesn’t really feel like being reasonable.

 _“I’m trying to complete the chorus but,”_ there’s a huff of frustration and squeaks of shoes on a hard floor, _“I can’t seem to get that last part right. Something’s off.”_

Soonyoung has been at it for a while, judging by the amount of times Wonwoo has heard the same twenty seconds of music get replayed on loop – his roommate has put his phone on speaker so they can keep talking while he practices.

“Don’t overwork yourself, Soonie. You should take a break.”

 _“Shouldn’t you be the one sleeping by now?”_ his roommate laughs at the suggestion. _“Why are you still up, mister Jeon?”_

_“I can’t get enough of your voice,”_ is what Wonwoo would say if he were a thousand times braver. It’s their third time staying on the phone late into the night this week and, despite the severe subsequent lack of sleep, he keeps coming back for more.

“I’m curious about your choreography,” is what he settles for. “Do you think you could show it to me? Even just a short part of it?”

Soonyoung hums noncommittally as the music starts again. Wonwoo hears a tiny _“Finally!”_ yelped as his roommate seems to finally nail the steps he was struggling with.

 _“It’s nothing impressive, really,”_ the other boy chuckles shyly, evading the question, as he comes back closer to the phone.

Chan, the youngest member of Soonyoung’s dance team, shouts something from the other side of the room – tonight, they’re the only two who stayed behind for some overtime practice – though Wonwoo can’t understand what the youngest is saying, and Soonyoung replies with a _“hey!”_.

 _“Let me film you, hyung, it’s fine!”_ Wonwoo hears as Chan steps closer to the phone. _“We’ll need it for reference anyway.”_

 _“…Fine,”_ Soonyoung surrenders.

“You should send me the video~,” the brunet insists one last time, trying to make himself sound suave and feeling like an idiot.

Soonyoung chuckles helplessly, like he cannot resist Wonwoo’s sorry attempt at sweet-talking him. The brunet pulls on his covers, hiding his face behind it. What is he doing?

 _“You’re relentless, Wonwon!”_ his roommate sighs, an obvious smile in his voice. _“Okay, I promise. But you should go to bed first, it’s getting late!”_

“You’re no fun,” the brunet pouts even though the other boy cannot see him, as he emerges from behind his bedsheets. “Alright.”

 _“We’ll talk again soon, I promise. Good night, Wonwon~”_ Soonyoung’s voice gets clearer as the latter grabs his phone and turns off the speaker mode. _“Sweet dreams.”_

“Talk to you soon, Soonie.”

The brunet feels slightly light-headed when he hangs up, his heart beating fiercely but steadily in his chest. The more they talk, the more Wonwoo wants out of their strange relationship. Slowly but steadily, he has become hooked.

He wants to learn everything there is to know about Soonyoung – his endless curiosity keeps gnawing at the back of his mind, whenever they talk on the phone, prompting a thousand questions at once – and he wants the other boy to take interest in him. It’s an exhilarating feeling.

Wonwoo would love nothing more but to catch Soonyoung’s attention as more than a mere roommate.

The brunet sighs, absent-mindedly scrolling through his Twitter feed – his mind is too crowded with thoughts for him to sleep right away – then perks up when he receives a text notification.

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

(1:33AM) _[Video attached]_

(1:33AM) As promised~

He doesn’t waste a single second before opening the video, curious to see what kind of choreography his roommate has sent him – and also because he has only ever seen one picture of him and he is getting desperate for more.

Wonwoo recognizes the first notes of the chorus immediately – having listened to them dozens of times mere moments ago – but his attention is focused elsewhere.

His roommate has changed his hair to silver since his last selfie, and Wonwoo gulps at how much more attractive that simple change makes the other boy. His sleeves are rolled up to the top of his shoulders, showing off his toned arms.

Soonyoung starts by rolling his chest, throwing a sensual look under hooded eyelids at the camera, and Wonwoo stops breathing. A simple head tilt is all it takes to send the brunet’s pulse through the roof. As the pace picks up and Soonyoung’s moves get more intense, Wonwoo doesn’t know where to look anymore. His roommate’s entire body is a work of art.

When the chorus ends and the song transitions into the second verse, Soonyoung stops and breaks character, a shy smile growing onto his face. Wonwoo has just enough time to hear him say _“Do you think that was good enough?”_ before Chan cuts the recording and ends the video.

Wonwoo replays it more times than he would like to admit, captivated by all the details in the other man’s choreography. He barely knows anything about dancing, but he would have to be a fool to overlook Soonyoung’s sheer talent.

His fingers hover over his screen as he thinks of an appropriate response. No words would be enough to describe what he felt, as he watched him dance. He figures honesty might be the best approach, in his case.

**To: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

You’re absolutely amazing, and I am speechless (1:51AM)

Wonwoo can somehow already hear Jeonghan and Jihoon cackling at him in his mind. He sighs deeply.

Okay. Maybe he does have a blatant, undeniable crush.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

(6:21PM) WONWOO

(6:21PM) Please tell me you’re at the dorm!!!!

(6:21PM) I need you to save my life 😭

(6:21PM) I am so stupid 😭 😭

(6:22PM) Wonwon :(((((((((((((((((((((((((

(6:22PM) 🥺️🥺️🥺️🥺️🥺️

Wonwoo grabs his phone from the coffee table, intrigued by the burst of notifications that are uninterruptedly lighting up the screen. Is the world somehow ending?

**To: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

What’s happening? (6:22PM)

Where are we hiding the body? (6:23PM)

**From: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

(6:23PM) WONWOO YOU’RE HERE

(6:23PM) We have an evaluation in ten minutes and I forgot mY SHOES AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!

(6:23PM) Can you bring them at the studio please please please 😭

(6:24PM) We don’t have any spares here and I can’t dance in any other shoes 🥺️🥺️

(6:24PM) I’d be eternally grateful!!!!!!!!!!!

(6:24PM) I’ll do the dishes and clean the dorm till the end of the semester I promise!!!!!!!!!!!

**To: Soonie the Roomie** **🐯** **✨** **💓**

Coming (6:24PM)

Where are you? (6:25PM)

Before Soonyoung can end his litany of pleads and thanks, Wonwoo is already up and dressed, grabbing his keys and the bright red sneakers in question that Soonyoung left to dry after cleaning them the day before. He might have to jog a little if he wants to make it in time, but he doesn’t mind the extra effort if that means he can help out his roommate.

As he runs towards campus, he tries his best not to panic about how he is going to meet Soonyoung in person for the first time right now, after a five-minute notice. He’s dressed in sweats and he’s already looking awful, sweaty, and disheveled, but it is going to happen anyway. Lord help him.

Thankfully, Wonwoo already knows his way to the Arts building – Jihoon spends a lot of time there whenever he works on his compositions – and he gets there quickly enough. He rushes up the stairs to the second floor as fast as his low stamina will allow him, looking for the studio.

When he finds the right place, there are only three people in there – and the one he was the most excited to see isn’t among them.

“Wonwoo hyung?” a brown-haired freshman that he recognizes to be Chan – he gave in and asked Jeonghan to show him pictures of the dance team on Instagram – asks.

The brunet is out of breath, so he simply raises the pair of shoes he’s clutching as an explanation.

“Oh, right!” The youngest gets up to grab the shoes. “Soonyoung left, like, two seconds ago with the teacher, you just missed him…”

“Oh.”

Wonwoo hates how downhearted he sounds, but he cannot deny the tight knot of disappointment that forms in his chest. Even if he looks anything but presentable, he had hoped today would be _the_ day. Chan shoots him a sympathetic look, as if he just _knows_.

“I’ll tell Soonyoung hyung you brought these,” the dancer assures, patting him on the shoulder. “Thank you for saving that forgetful idiot’s semester. Our teacher would have skinned him alive if he’d tried to dance barefooted.”

The brunet nods quietly, straining his lips into a weak smile. It’s all that matters after all, right?

“God, I really wonder how you put up with him,” Chan snorts a light smile. “I see the disgusting amount of texts he sends you every day. You know you can tell him to tone it down if he gets too much, right?”

“It’s okay,” he shakes his head, amused. “I really don’t mind.”

From the corner of his eye, Wonwoo notices the other two dancers – Minghao and Jun, he believes – starting to warm up for the evaluation. He should leave. Ignoring the heavy pounding of his heart, the brunet turns away and heads for the door, waving Chan off before the youngest can add anything.

“Good luck for the evaluation, guys.”

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

“Are you done moping yet?”

Wonwoo lets out a groan that means both _“I am_ not _moping”_ and _“Shut up Jeonghan hyung”_. The senior chuckles lightly, patting his shoulder in pity. Jihoon isn’t paying any attention to any of them: he’s too busy being cute with his boyfriend Mingyu who once again brought homemade lunch boxes. Wonwoo absent-mindedly toys with his food, not feeling hungry anymore.

“I’m giving up,” he declares with a fatalistic tone. “The universe doesn’t want us to meet.”

“Eh, what are you saying~,” Jeonghan disapproves with a click of his chopsticks. “It’s not the end of the world. It will happen eventually.”

“I guess…”

The brunet starts stabbing his dumplings with his chopsticks like they personally offended him. He needs to take his mind off of his whole roommate situation or he’s going to become crazy.

“How was your date the other day, hyung?” Wonwoo asks, changing the subject.

Jeonghan shoots him a mischievous look, as if he wonders how much of the story Wonwoo deserves to hear. The brunet raises his eyebrows expectantly.

“It was great!” the oldest finally replies. “Seokmin took me to a bunny café in Hongdae.”

The blond’s lips grow into a wide grin as he reminisces about his date. The two met by chance a few weeks ago and Jeonghan has not been able to shut up about Seokmin since then. Wonwoo smiles as well: it’s good to see his friend so happy again.

“You should have seen him, he was a blushing mess from the start,” Jeonghan chuckles lightheartedly. “I was surprised he asked me out in the first place, you know. I thought I would have to do it myself!”

“I know, hyung, I think you sent fifty messages in the group chat to yell about it when Seokmin finally went for it.”

“Oh, did I?” the oldest smiles innocently.

Jeonghan whips out his phone and scrolls through his gallery until he finds pictures of Seokmin and him, where they’re both laughing and pulling crazy faces. Wonwoo smiles, noticing a couple on which the two are kissing.

“We went on a walk in a park nearby once we were done with the café,” the blond continues with a wistful sigh. “I had a great time.”

“Sounds like an ideal first date if you ask me,” Wonwoo hums.

“How long has it been since you last went on a date, Wonwoo?”

“God knows.” The brunet shifts uncomfortably, resting his head inside the palm of his hand and pouting. “At this point I forgot what it feels like to go on one.”

Jeonghan turns his head to the side, looking right at Wonwoo, and his eyes twinkle.

“What would be your top, ultimate date if you were asked out soon?”

“I don’t know?” Wonwoo raises his eyebrows in perplexity. “I wouldn’t need anything fancy, maybe just dinner and some time to get to know each other?”

His thoughts inevitably wander back to Soonyoung, wondering what it would be like to go on a date with him… If he can ever catch his roommate, that is. At that point he’s even wondering whether Soonyoung truly is a workaholic or if he’s been avoiding him on purpose – though he wouldn’t have any reason to, would he?

“I’m sure Prince Charming will come swoop you off your feet and take you on that date soon,” Jeonghan nods slowly. “Don’t lose hope.”

He’d like to believe it. He really would.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

When Wonwoo gets home after his last class of the week, the first thing he notices is the pair of bright red shoes carelessly tossed in a corner. The second thing he notices is the breathing bundle of blankets lying on the couch.

The brunet freezes on the doorstep, pulse racing, and his mind goes _“what no now how what do I do wh–”_. The door slams as it closes on its own, and the living bundle starts moving.

“What…?” a drowsy voice he knows too well mutters.

Sleepy eyes emerge from the blanket to look at him, and Wonwoo tries his best to not faint on the spot as he recognizes that unique silver hair. Soonyoung looks out of it – the brunet knows it is definitely not normal to find his roommate home on a Friday afternoon. The dancer’s brain seems to take a few moments to process the situation, cogs almost visibly turning inside his head, until his eyes open wide like a deer caught in headlights.

“Hello Soonyoung,” Wonwoo greets him sheepishly with a slight wave, approaching slowly.

The other boy tries to jump to his feet in confusion but his feet get stuck in the blanket. The brunet catches him by the shoulders before he can fall to the ground.

“Careful there,” Wonwoo mutters under his breath.

His own brain freezes when he finally looks at Soonyoung from up close. Wonwoo takes in his round eyes, chubby cheeks, and plump lips, and his heart melts a little inside his chest. Whatever adjectives he had thought of to describe Soonyoung before, he can throw them all out the window because they will never be enough to do him justice.

The remaining rational cells of his brain that haven’t imploded yet take over, noticing Soonyoung’s flushed skin and slight sweating. When he raises his hand to place it on his roommate’s forehead, Wonwoo frowns in concern.

“Good god, Soonyoung, you’re burning up.”

The silver-haired boy doesn’t resist when Wonwoo takes him straight back to his bed and starts asking the usual questions with a calm, reassuring tone – “Have you taken any medicine yet? What about lunch?” – letting the brunet take care of him like it isn’t their very unplanned, very first time meeting each other.

“I’m sure you haven’t been taking it easy like you said you would,” Wonwoo sighs as he sits on a chair by Soonyoung’s bed, setting a glass and a bottle of water on his nightstand.

“… I’m sorry,” the other mutters, pulling on his bedsheets to hide his face.

How could Wonwoo ever stay mad at him when he acts like this? The brunet smiles, patting Soonyoung’s arm as the latter’s eyes emerge to look at him sheepishly. Wonwoo tries his best to appear detached, but he cannot help staring curiously at his roommate. It feels terribly weird – and also strangely thrilling – to have him in the flesh right by his side.

“The guys are going to kill me for skipping practice,” Soonyoung sighs, hiding his face behind his hands.

“You’re not skipping, you’re sick,” Wonwoo flicks him on the knee. “They’ll be fine without you for a day or two, don’t worry.”

His roommate looks at him through his fingers like a kid would, and the brunet breaks out in laughter. Soonyoung doesn’t take long to follow as he sits up in his bed, facing Wonwoo.

“How is this only our first time meeting?” Soonyoung mutters lightly, nervously toying with his own fingers. “After all this time, I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Wonwoo nods, thinking about all their texting back-and-forth as well as their late night phone calls. They have shared a lot with each other before they could finally come face to face.

“Well, you’re a hard man to catch,” he replies with an amused smile.

They sit in comfortable silence for a while, taking each other in and exchanging a few looks when they think the other isn’t watching.

“I’m sorry, this isn’t how I wanted our first meeting to be at all,” Soonyoung admits as he looks away, embarrassed.

“What, are you saying you didn’t get sick on purpose just so I could play nurse?” the brunet teases, distractedly rubbing the other boy’s knee in an affectionate gesture.

“I wanted to make it perfect! I had it all planned out,” the other blurts out suddenly. “I was looking for the best restaurant I could take you out to.”

Wonwoo freezes, wondering if Soonyoung’s fever has got significantly worse, but his roommate looks very serious.

“What are you saying, Soonie?” the brunet questions, wondering if he’s going crazy or if he understands the implications correctly. “Did you want to _ask me out_?”

When Soonyoung doesn’t reply, his face progressively turning redder and redder, Wonwoo thinks his heart might burst.

“Oh, Soonyoung.”

Trying his best to breathe evenly – _“Come on, Wonwoo, you can’t faint_ now _of all moments”_ – he sits on the bed next to Soonyoung who shifts uncomfortably and softly grabs his hand.

“Soonie, listen to me.”

The silver-haired boy exhales, looking away like he’s expecting to get rejected. Wonwoo stops for a second. He wants to make sure he picks the right words.

“Just meeting you was perfect in itself, whatever the time and place. That’s really all I was hoping for. And you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

He laces their fingers together as he talks, caressing the other’s hand with his thumb – it fits so perfectly inside his own that his heart melts a little – and he glances at Soonyoung to gauge his reaction. As the latter looks stunned, Wonwoo can’t resist bursting into laughter.

“Hey, don’t laugh at me,” Soonyoung protests weakly, feigning to slap him on the wrist.

“I mean,” the brunet wipes the tears forming in the corner of his eyes, “You always sounded so self-confident whenever we talked on the phone, I can’t believe you mulled over it that much! If I’d known…”

“If you’d known…?”

Wonwoo shoots him a mischievous look, his cheeks slightly hot, as he raises Soonyoung’s hand to lay a kiss on his knuckles.

“Well, I might have asked you out myself much sooner.”

Soonyoung lets go of his hand so he can hide his face behind his own, and Wonwoo laughs again as he pulls the other into a hug. The brunet wraps one arm around his shoulders and lets his other hand caress Soonyoung’s hair. The latter exhales, leaning into the embrace against Wonwoo’s chest as he gently takes hold of his waist.

His roommate’s hair feels soft under the brunet’s fingertips, and he can still smell the remnants of Soonyoung’s shampoo. Before he can overthink it, Wonwoo lays a few delicate kisses on the crown of the other’s head. His thumb traces irregular patterns on Soonyoung’s arm, feeling the muscles jumping under his touch.

“Please tell me this isn’t a fever dream,” he hears the other mumble in his neck.

“Soonie.”

Wonwoo breaks the embrace and pushes Soonyoung just far enough to face him, gently holding his face. The silver-haired boy shoots him a confused look, and all Wonwoo can think about is how much he wants to kiss him. So he asks.

“Can I kiss you?”

When Soonyoung nods quietly, lips slightly parted, his heart is pounding so strongly inside his chest that he cannot hear his thoughts anymore. Their lips crash together like they’re two hungry men fighting to share their love with each other. They come apart, out of breath, and soon after dive into another kiss as if it were the first all over again. Wonwoo grabs Soonyoung’s lower lip between his teeth and gently nibbles on it, leaving Soonyoung breathless in his arms.

When they part, lips slightly red and swollen from excessive use, they chuckle together like they couldn’t be happier at that very moment.

🌟 🐱 🌼 🐯 🌟

“Oh, hey Wonwoo hyung!” Chan shouts excitedly when he notices the junior.

The brunet waves at everyone – namely: Minghao, Jun, and Chan – as he steps into the dance studio, carrying two black boxes in his arms. He sits down on the side, careful to leave enough space for the other three to finish practicing.

“Soonyoung hyung should be here soon enough,” the youngest informs him, stretching his legs thoroughly.

“Alright,” Wonwoo nods, taking out his phone to read his notifications – Jeonghan has been flooding the group chat about Seokmin again, so he has a lot to get to.

“What are those?” the youngest gestures at the boxes he set aside as he gets up to grab his bag.

The brunet cringes slightly, bracing himself for his reaction. He knows well enough by now that Chan is very much allergic to overt displays of love.

“… I made lunch?” he replies tentatively, opening one lunch box to reveal a colorful assortment of meat, rice, kimchi, and dumplings.

“Oh my god,” Chan scrunches his nose in disapproval, “you’ve been spending too much time with Mingyu hyung lately.”

As Wonwoo rolls his eyes to the ceiling, blushing slightly – he may have asked Mingyu for a couple recipes lately, but Chan doesn’t need to know that – the door gets slammed into the wall as someone excitedly steps in.

“Wonwon, you’re already here!”

Soonyoung eagerly runs to him and lays a loud kiss on his lips, grinning like a five-year-old on Christmas Day. Wonwoo smiles fondly at his enthusiasm. They haven’t been apart for more than a few hours, but that was enough for Wonwoo to miss his boyfriend terribly.

“Sorry, I had to meet our teacher to discuss our next assignment!” the now redhead explains as he runs around, tidying the mess in the dance studio before they can eat lunch together.

Chan snorts loudly from the side, sounding personally offended.

“Yeah, at least this time you weren’t h–”

Before the youngest can finish his sentence, Soonyoung slaps his hand over Chan’s mouth and shushes him outside the studio. Minghao and Jun closely follow, not wanting to spend lunch in the other two’s vicinity. As much as Wonwoo fervently denies it, all of their collective friends – including Mingyu and Jihoon – have designated them as the most disgustingly cute couple they know. That’s saying something.

Once they’re the only ones left behind, Soonyoung sits comfortably next to Wonwoo and caresses the brunet’s thigh affectionately.

“Wow, you made it yourself this time!” he hums in wonder, looking at Wonwoo’s open lunch box.

When he grabs his own, Soonyoung notices the bright orange note stuck on top of it. After everything, those colorful pieces of paper have yet to leave their daily lives. It all started thanks to them, after all.

A large grin spreads on Soonyoung’s face as he reads the three simple words Wonwoo scribbled on it that morning when he was cooking their lunch. The redhead grabs his boyfriend by the neck, pulling him into a hungry kiss.

_“I love you_ _♥_ _– Wonwoo”_

✨🕛🕙🕗🕕🕓🕑🕛✨

Chan watches Wonwoo carefully as the latter exits the dance studio, looking dejected that Soonyoung was not there. Once the youngest is sure the brunet is gone and out of hearing range, he tosses the pair of red sneakers in a corner and knocks twice on the large broom cupboard next to him.

“You can come out of there, now, hyung.”

The door squeaks as Soonyoung’s head emerges, frightfully looking around in case Wonwoo might have come back. Chan loves his friend but, at times like these, he really wishes he were the oldest one so he could give him the good wallop he deserves.

“I can’t believe you’d go to such lengths just to avoid him!” Chan tuts, crossing his arms disapprovingly.

“I’m not avoiding him!”

Chan looks at Soonyoung pointedly, gesturing at the cupboard, and the silver-haired boy flushes profusely.

“I can’t meet him for the first time looking like that!” he protests, pointing at his disheveled state and worn-out sweatpants. “I need to make a good impression! Have you seen him?”

The youngest pinches the bridge of his nose, trying his best to not pop a vein in deep annoyance. _This hyung…_ Yes, he has already heard in great details and way too many times about Wonwoo’s “perfect jaw, dazzling smile, immensely pretty eyes”. It’s not like Soonyoung ever stops gushing about it.

And now that the two roommates have started talking regularly on the phone, Soonyoung _also_ can’t help flooding the dance team’s group chat with Wonwoo-facts every day. Chan never imagined someone could be so helplessly whipped.

“Good God, hyung, he _ran_ here just to bring your stupid shoes and save your ass!” he grumbles. “And while you were in there hiding, you didn’t see the sad look on his face when I told him you were gone off with the teacher!”

Jun and Minghao, who have been quietly listening to the conversation as they warm up, snigger at their team leader while the latter’s face turns to an even deeper shade of red.

“For the love of all that’s holy, I’m begging you, just… Just meet him and ask him out already, and put me out of my damn misery,” Chan concludes with a dramatic sigh.

“I will,” Soonyoung pouts sulkily. “I just need the perfect opportunity. And I also need to plan the perfect date beforehand. I can’t give him less than the absolute best!”

The youngest scrunches his nose. This might take a very, _very_ long while. He needs to do something about this whole situation or he’s going to get gray hair before the end of the semester.

Chan wonders if he should ask someone for help. There’s that senior he met at orientation and has been good friends with since then – despite his very annoying habit of asking Chan “whose baby are you?~” every single week – that he usually goes to whenever a non-dance problem arises. Yes, maybe Yoon Jeonghan will know how to solve that situation.

🌟 🌼 THE END 🌼 🌟

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my second fic here on AO3!! 🥳 I really hope you had fun reading it 🥰️ Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts about it, I would appreciate it a lot! 💕
> 
> That ending was difficult to write for me because I changed it entirely from my original plan, but in the end I'm very satisfied with that fic!!
> 
> I'm not a native English speaker but I hope that wasn't too noticeable, I did my best with this work 💪💪
> 
> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cirelli_art) and [Instagram](https://twitter.com/cirelli_art) at @cirelli_art if you want to chat or see my occasional drawings! 💖


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